Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 110:5
The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
5. The Lord ] Adnai, i.e. Jehovah. The king is still addressed. Jehovah stands at his right hand as his champion in the battle. Cp. Psa 16:8; Psa 121:5; Psa 109:31.
shall shatter kings ] The verb is in the perfect tense, but the tenses in Psa 110:6-7 shew that it is to be regarded, according to a common Hebrew idiom, as a ‘prophetic’ perfect. The victory is still future, but the Psalmist regards it as already won.
in the day of his wrath ] The day of judgement upon the surrounding heathen nations, which is further described in Psa 110:6. Cp. Psa 2:5; Psa 2:12; Psa 21:9; Job 20:28; Isa 13:9; Isa 13:13; Zep 2:3.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
5 7. The scene changes to the battle-field. The king goes forth to war against his enemies. But he does not go in his own strength. Jehovah is at his right hand to fight his battles. In hot pursuit of his flying foes he halts but for a moment to refresh himself, and then presses on to his final triumph.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The Lord at thy right hand – See the notes at Psa 16:8.
Shall strike through kings – The Hebrew word here rendered shall strike, – from machats – means to shake, to agitate; and then, to shake in pieces, to dash in pieces, to crush; and here it has the sense of dashing in pieces, smiting, wounding, crushing. The kings referred to are the enemies of God and the Messiah, and the idea is that all would be subdued before him; that he would set up a universal dominion; that none would be able to stand before him; or, that he would reign over all the earth. The language is that which is derived from conquests in war; from the subjugation of enemies by force of arms. Compare the notes at Psa 2:9-12; and the notes at Isa 11:4.
In the day of his wrath – Psa 2:12.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 5. The Lord at thy right hand] Here Venema thinks the Psalm speaks of David. As Jesus is at the right hand of God, so he will be at thy hand, giving thee all the support and comfort requisite.
Shall strike through kings] As he did in the case of Abraham, Ge 14:1-16, (for to this there seems to be an allusion,) where he smote four kings, and filled the pits with the dead bodies of their troops. That the allusion is to the above transaction seems the most probable; because in the same chapter, where the defeat of the four kings is mentioned, we have the account of Melchizedek coming to meet Abraham, and receiving the tenth of the spoils.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The Lord; either,
1. God the Father, whose words and oath he last mentioned, Psa 110:4. So this is an apostrophe of the psalmist to Christ, Thy God and Father is at thy right hand, to wit, to defend and assist thee, as that phrase is used, Psa 16:8; 109:31, and elsewhere. See Poole “Psa 110:1“.
And he, to wit, God the Father,
shall strike, & c., as it follows. Although this latter clause may belong to the Messias; and as in the former he spake to him, so in this he speaketh of him; such changes of persons being very frequent in this book. Or,
2. God the Son, or
the Lord, who is at thy right hand, as was said before, Psa 110:1,
shall strike, & c. So this is an apostrophe to God the Father concerning his Son. This seems best to agree with the following verses; for it is evident that it is the same person
who strikes through kings, and judgeth among the heathen, and filleth, &c. And so this whole verse, and those which follow, speak of one person, which seems most probable.
Shall strike through kings shall mortally wound and destroy all those kings and potentates who are obstinate enemies to him and to his church.
In the day of his wrath; in the day of battle, when he shall contend with them, and pour forth the floods of his wrath upon them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5. at thy right handas Ps109:31, upholding and aiding, which is not inconsistent with Ps110:1, where the figure denotes participation of power, for hereHe is presented in another aspect, as a warrior going againstenemies, and sustained by God.
strike throughsmite orcrush.
kingsnot common men,but their rulers, and so all under them (Psa 2:2;Psa 2:10).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The Lord at thy right hand,…. These words are either directed to Christ, at whose right hand the Lord was to help and assist him, Ps 16:8 or to the church, consisting of the Lord’s willing people, at whose right hand he is to save them; is ready to help them, and is a present help to them in time of need, Ps 109:31 or rather to Jehovah the Father, at whose right hand the “Adonai”, or Lord, even David’s Lord, and every believer’s Lord, is, as in Ps 110:1, and who is spoken of in all the following clauses; and to whom the things mentioned are ascribed, and so what immediately follows:
shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath; not only strike at them, and strike them; but strike them through, utterly destroy them. This is to be understood of the kings and princes that stood up and set themselves against him, Ps 2:2, which is interpreted of Herod and Pontius Pilate, Ac 4:26, who both died shameful deaths; as did another Herod, that set himself against the apostles and church of Christ, Ac 12:1, and also of Heathens, kings and emperors, who persecuted the Christians; as Diocletian, Maximilian, and others; who are represented as fleeing to rocks and mountains, to hide them from the Lamb, the great day of his wrath being come, Re 6:15, and also of the antichristian kings, that shall be gathered together to the battle of the Lord God Almighty, and shall be overcome and slain by Christ, Re 16:14 which will be a time of wrath, when the vials of God’s wrath shall be poured out upon the antichristian kings and states; see Re 16:1. And may also reach the last and general judgment; when kings, as well as others, shall stand before him, and receive their awful doom from him; and shall perish when his wrath is kindled against them, Ps 2:11.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Just as in Psa 110:2 after Psa 110:1, so now here too after the divine utterance, the poet continues in a reflective strain. The Lord, says Psa 110:5, dashes in pieces kings at the right hand of this priest-king, in the day when His wrath is kindled (Psa 2:12, cf. Psa 21:10). is rightly accented as subject. The fact that the victorious work of the person addressed is not his own work, but the work of Jahve on his behalf and through him, harmonizes with Psa 110:1. The sitting of the exalted one at the right hand of Jahve denotes his uniform participation in His high dignity and dominion. But in the fact that the Lord, standing at his right hand (cf. the counterpart in Psa 109:6), helps him to victory, that unchangeable relationship is shown in its historical working. The right hand of the exalted one is at the same time not inactive (see Num 24:17, cf. Num 24:8), and the Lord does not fail him when he is obliged to use his arm against his foes. The subject to and to the two is the Lord as acting through him. “He shall judge among the peoples” is an eschatological hope, Psa 7:9; Psa 9:9; Psa 96:10, cf. 1Sa 2:10. What the result of this judgment of the peoples is, is stated by the neutrally used verb with its accusative (cf. on the construction Psa 65:10; Deu 34:9): it there becomes full of corpses, there is there a multitude of corpses covering everything. This is the same thought as in Isa 66:24, and wrought out in closely related connection in Rev 19:17; Rev 18:21. Like the first , the second ( Psa 110:6) is also a perfect of the idea past. Accordingly seems to signify the earth or a country (cf. , Exo 3:8; Neh 9:35) broad and wide, like the great far-stretching deep. But it might also be understood the “land of Rabbah,” as they say the “land of Jazer” (Num 32:1), the “country of Goshen” (Jos 10:41), and the like; therefore the land of the Ammonites, whose chief city is Rabbah. It is also questionable whether is to be taken like , Eph 1:22 (Hormann), or whether belongs to as a designation of the battle-field. The parallels as to the word and the thing itself, Psa 68:22; Hab 3:13., speak for signifying not the chief, but the head; not, however, in a collective sense (lxx, Targum), but the head of the (vid., Isa 11:4). If this is the case, and the construction is accordingly to be given up, neither is it now to be rendered: He breaks in pieces a head upon the land of Rabbah, but upon a great (broad) land; in connection with which, however, this designation of the place of battle takes its rise from the fact that the head of the ruler over this great territory is intended, and the choice of the word may have been determined by an allusion to David’s Ammonitish war. The subject of Psa 110:7 is now not that arch-fiend, as he who in the course of history renews his youth, that shall rise up again (as we explained it formerly), but he whom the Psalm, which is thus rounded off with unity of plan, celebrates. Psa 110:7 expresses the toil of his battle, and Psa 110:7 the reward of undertaking the toil. is therefore equivalent to . , however, although it might belong to (of the brook by the wayside, Psa 83:10; Psa 106:7), is correctly drawn to by the accentuation: he shall on his arduous way, the way of his mission (cf. Psa 102:24), be satisfied with a drink from the brook. He will stand still only for a short time to refresh himself, and in order then to fight afresh; he will unceasingly pursue his work of victory without giving himself any time for rest and sojourn, and therefore (as the reward for it) it shall come to pass that he may lift his head on high as victor; and this, understood in a christological sense, harmonizes essentially with Phi 2:8., Heb 12:2, Rev 5:9.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The Messiah’s Dominion. | |
5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. 6 He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. 7 He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head.
Here we have our great Redeemer,
I. Conquering his enemies (Psa 110:5; Psa 110:6) in order to the making of them his footstool, v. 1. Our Lord Jesus will certainly bring to nought all the opposition made to his kingdom, and bring to ruin all those who make that opposition and persist in it. He will be too hard for those, whoever they may be, that fight against him, against his subjects and the interest of his kingdom among men, either by persecutions or by perverse disputings. Observe here,
1. The conqueror: The Lord–Adonai, the Lord Jesus, he to whom all judgment is committed, he shall make his own part good against his enemies. The Lord at thy right hand, O church! so some; that is, the Lord that is nigh unto his people, and a very present help to them, that is at their right hand, to strengthen and succour them, shall appear for them against his and their enemies. See Ps. cix. 31. He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, Ps. xvi. 8. Some observe that when Christ is said to do his work at the right hand of his church it intimates that, if we would have Christ to appear for us, we must bestir ourselves, 2 Sam. v. 24. Or, rather, At thy right hand, O God! referring to v. 1, in the dignity and dominion to which he is advanced. Note, Christ’s sitting at the right hand of God speaks as much terror to his enemies as happiness to his people.
2. The time fixed for this victory: In the day of his wrath, that is, the time appointed for it, when the measure of their iniquities is full and they are ripe for ruin. When the day of his patience has expired, when the day of his wrath comes. Note, (1.) Christ has wrath of his own, as well as grace. It concerns us to kiss the Son, for he can be angry (Ps. ii. 12) and we read of the wrath of the Lamb, Rev. vi. 16. (2.) There is a day of wrath set, a year of recompences for the controversy of Zion, the year of the redeemed. The time is set for the destruction of particular enemies, and when that time shall come it shall be done, how unlikely soever it may seem; but the great day of his wrath will be at the end of time, Rev. vi. 17.
3. The extent of this victory. (1.) It shall reach very high: He shall strike through kings. The greatest of men, that set themselves against Christ, shall be made to fall before him. Though they be kings of the earth, and rulers, accustomed to carry their point, they cannot carry it against Christ, they do but make themselves ridiculous by the attempt, Ps. ii. 2-5. Be their power among men ever so despotic, Christ will call them to an account; be their strength ever so great, their policies ever so deep, Christ will be too hard for them, and wherein they deal proudly he will be above them. Satan is the prince of this world, Death the king of terrors, and we read of kings that make war with the Lamb; but they shall all be brought down and broken. (2.) It shall reach very far. The trophies of Christ’s victories will be set up among the heathen, and in many countries, wherever any of his enemies are, not his eye only, but his hand, shall find them out (Ps. xxi. 8) and his wrath shall follow them. He will plead with all nations, Joel iii. 2.
4. The equity of this victory: He shall judge among them. It is not a military execution, which is done in fury, but a judicial one. Before he condemns and slays, he will judge; he will make it appear that they have brought this ruin upon themselves, and have themselves rolled the stone which returns upon them, that he may be justified when he speaks and the heavens may declare his righteousness. See Rev 19:1; Rev 19:2.
5. The effect of this victory; it shall be the complete and utter ruin of all his enemies. He shall strike them through, for he strikes home and gives an incurable wound: He shall wound the heads, which seems to refer to the first promise of the Messiah (Gen. iii. 15), that he should bruise the serpent’s head. He shall wound the head of his enemies, Ps. lxviii. 21. Some read it, He shall wound him that is the head over many countries, either Satan or Antichrist, whom the Lord shall consume with the breath of his mouth. He shall make such destruction of his enemies that he shall fill the places with the dead bodies. The slain of the Lord shall be many. See Isa 34:3; Eze 39:12; Eze 39:14; Rev 14:20; Rev 19:17; Rev 19:18. The filling of the valleys (for so some read it) with dead bodies, perhaps denotes the filling of hell (which is sometimes compared to the valley of Hinnom,Isa 30:33; Jer 7:32) with damned souls, for that will be the portion of those that persist in their enmity to Christ.
II. We have here the Redeemer saving his friends and comforting them (v. 7); for their benefit, 1. He shall be humbled: He shall drink of the brook in the way, that bitter cup which the Father put into his hand. He shall be so abased and impoverished, and withal so intent upon his work, that he shall drink puddle-water out of the lakes in the highway; so some. The wrath of God, running in the channel of the curse of the law, was the brook in the way, in the way of his undertaking, which must go through, or which ran in the way of our salvation and obstructed it, which lay between us and heaven. Christ drank of this brook when he was made a curse for us, and therefore, when he entered upon his suffering, he went over the brook Kidron, John xviii. 1. He drank deeply of this black brook (so Kidron signifies), this bloody brook, so drank of the brook in the way as to take it out of the way of our redemption and salvation. 2. He shall be exalted: Therefore shall he lift up the head. When he died he bowed the head (John xix. 30), but he soon lifted up the head by his own power in his resurrection. He lifted up the head as a conqueror, yea, more than a conqueror. This denotes not only his exaltation, but his exultation; not only his elevation, but his triumph in it. Col. ii. 15, Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them. David spoke as a type of him in this (Ps. xxvii. 6), Now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies. His exaltation was the reward of his humiliation; because he humbled himself, therefore God also highly exalted him, Phil. ii. 9. Because he drank of the brook in the way therefore he lifted up his own head, and so lifted up the heads of all his faithful followers, who, if they suffer with him, shall also reign with him.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
5. The Lord at thy right hand In these words David celebrates the dreadful nature of that power which Christ possesses for the dispersion and destruction of his enemies; and by this means he affirms, that though encompassed by bands of deadly foes, yet their malignant attempts would not prevent God from upholding the King whom he has set up. It is proper to consider the expression, in the day of his wrath, by which we are instructed patiently to endure the cross, if it happen that God, for a time, conceals himself during the prevalence of the cruelty and fury of enemies; for he knows well when the full and fit season arrives for executing vengeance upon them. Next, he invests Christ with power over the nations, and the people of uncircumcised lips; meaning, that he was not chosen King to reign over the inhabitants of Judea only, but also to keep under his sway distant nations, agreeably to what was predicated of him in Psa 2:8. And because, in all parts of the earth, as well as in the confines of Judea, there would be many rebellious and disobedient persons, he adverts also to their destruction; thus intimating, that all who should set themselves in opposition to Christ, must be made to fall before him, and their obstinacy be subdued.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) The Lord at thy right hand.We are naturally tempted to understand this as still of the king whom the first verse placed at Jehovahs right hand. But the word for Lord here is Adonai, which is nowhere else used except of God. Moreover, God throughout has as yet appeared as the active agent. It is He who stretched out the sceptre and conferred the office of priest; and hitherto the king has been the person addressed. It is therefore necessary still to consider him as addressed, and suppose that the change of position of Jehovah from the kings right hand to his left is simply due to the usage of the language. To sit at the right hand was an emblem of honour, to stand at the right hand was a figure of protecting might (Psa. 16:8; Psa. 109:31); and the imagery of a battle into which the song now plunges caused the change of expression.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. The military figure is here resumed, and continued to the end. The Lord at thy right hand Hebrew, Adonah at thy right hand, that is, Adonah, here denoting Christ, at the right hand of Jehovah, as in Psa 110:1, which see.
Strike through kings The dominion of the king, Christ, is not merely over individuals, as such, but over all offices and ranks of earthly power, so that wherever power centres, there the dominion of Christ must be confessed; or, the issue being taken and submission refused, the rod of judgment will “strike through” them. Wicked governments, in all ages, have been the seats and fountain heads of corruption and violence in the earth.
Day of his wrath Christ is not only mediator, but judge. His gospel is not only a word of mercy, but a rule of judgment. Joh 12:48. His anger is only the expression of his judicial purpose to enforce law, and this is not foreign to the functions of his merciful mission. See Psa 2:12; Rev 6:16-17
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 110:5-6. The Lord at thy right hand This is to be understood of the Messiah, instated in his regal power at the right hand of his Father; and not of the Father himself as his helper and defender, as Psa 16:8 and elsewhere the phrase is understood. The prophet here on a sudden addresses himself to God the Father; and such transitions, as we have frequently observed, are common in the Hebrew poetry. The Lord will strike through, &c. that is break in pieces the greatest powers upon earth, who shall provoke his displeasure, by an obstinate opposal of his authority, and of the establishment of his gospel. It is added, He shall judge among the heathen; demonstrate himself to all the heathen world to be their law-giver and judge. He shall fill the places with the dead bodies, namely, of those powers, whom he shall strike through in the day of his wrath: and he shall wound the heads, the principals or rulers, over or of many countries; i.e. the Roman emperors themselves, who shall then rule over the greatest part of the world. Mudge renders the last clause, He shall crush the head against the earth plentifully. The reader will easily discern that the Psalmist here describes the exercise of Christ’s regal and supreme dominion; his conquest over sin and sinners, and over all the opposition of the powers of darkness, in metaphorical expressions taken from earthly conquests. See Rev 13:7-8; Rev 14:8; Rev 14:20. We would just observe, that there are some expositors who understand the words, the Lord at thy right hand, to be an apostrophe to the church; expressing Christ’s care and protection of it, his readiness to assist and defend his own people against all the injuries and assaults of adverse power: as if it had been said, “Be not dismayed nor cast down, O ye subjects of this king, as if, being exalted to God’s right hand, he had given over the care and protection of his people. For as he is at the right hand of his Father in glory and majesty, so is he also at your right hand, standing to execute judgment on your enemies, the greatest, the highest, the wisest of them, and to reveal the power of his arm towards you in your protection.” See Bishop Reynolds.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
This is a most interesting verse; for as the Lord will make his people willing in the day of his power, and support his friends; so will he subdue his enemies. The year, which is the year of his redeemed, is also the day of vengeance to those that oppose his government. Isa 63:4 . Awful thought! Like the pillar of cloud on the tabernacle, the same which gave light to his people, was darkness to their foes.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 110:5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
Ver. 5. The Lord at thy right hand ] Before, Christ was at the Father’s right hand; here, the Father at his; this is to show the equality of the Father and the Son, saith Jerome. Athanasius, by Lord here, understandeth the Holy Ghost. Others, by thy right hand, will have the Church to be meant, who is promised protection and victory. The Lord Christ shall slay her enemies in battle, Psa 110:5 , compel them to flee and turn their backs, Psa 110:6 , pursue them fleeing, Psa 110:7 , as Jdg 7:5-7 ; Jdg 7:19-23
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
The LORD*. One of the 134 places where the Sopherim changed Jehovah to Adonai. See App-32.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 110:5-6
Psa 110:5-6
“The Lord at thy right hand
Will strike through kings in the day of his wrath.
He will judge among the nations,
He will fill the places with dead bodies;
He will strike through the head in many countries.”
The scene here is that of the Final Judgment of mankind on the occasion of the Second Advent of Christ.
“He will judge among the nations” (Psa 110:6). Not merely the Jews, but all nations shall appear before the judgment seat of Christ, to whom God has committed judgment.
“He will fill the places with dead bodies” (Psa 110:6). Rawlinson translated this, “He will fill the earth with dead bodies. For the New Testament description of this same event, see Rev 19:17-18, where it is called “The Great Supper of God.”
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 110:5. The Lord in this place is Christ, for he is the one who is at the right hand of God. Strike through kings refers to the authority of Christ over all other rulers, bringing them either into obedience to his law, or shaming them by his condemnation of them for their rebellion against his divine rule.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
at thy: Psa 110:1, Psa 16:8, Mar 16:19, Act 2:34-36, Act 7:55, Act 7:56
strike: Psa 2:2-6, Psa 2:9-12, Psa 45:4, Psa 45:5, Psa 68:14, Psa 68:30, Psa 149:7-9, Zec 9:9, Zec 9:10, Zec 9:13-15, Rev 17:12-14, Rev 19:11-21, Rev 20:8, Rev 20:9
in the day: Psa 21:8, Psa 21:9, Eze 38:18, Eze 38:19, Rom 2:5, Rev 6:15-17, Rev 11:18
Reciprocal: Jos 8:29 – the king Jos 10:24 – put your feet Jos 11:21 – Joshua destroyed 2Sa 22:39 – General Job 21:30 – day Job 36:18 – Because Psa 2:5 – sore Psa 109:20 – Let this Psa 109:31 – For he Isa 2:14 – General Isa 13:13 – in the wrath Isa 42:13 – as a mighty Isa 61:2 – and Jer 19:3 – Hear Eze 21:10 – General Eze 29:5 – I will leave Eze 32:4 – General Eze 38:17 – whom Dan 2:34 – which Joe 3:12 – for Oba 1:15 – the day Mic 4:3 – and rebuke Mic 5:8 – as a lion Zec 14:12 – the plague wherewith Zec 14:17 – that Mat 21:44 – but Luk 20:43 – General Act 2:25 – for Phi 2:9 – God Rev 6:16 – and from Rev 12:10 – the power Rev 17:14 – the Lamb shall Rev 19:18 – ye
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 110:5. The Lord at thy right hand This, it seems, is to be understood of the Messiah, instated in his regal power at the right hand of his Father; and not of the Father himself, as his helper and defender, as the phrase is used Psa 16:8, and in some other places. Thus, this is an apostrophe to God the Father concerning his Son. This sense of the clause agrees best with the following verses; for it is evident that it is the same person who strikes through kings, and judges among the heathen, and fills the places, &c. Shall strike through kings That is, shall break in pieces the greatest powers upon earth, who shall provoke his displeasure, by an obstinate opposition to his authority, and the establishment of his gospel. In the day of his wrath In the day of battle, when he shall contend with them, and pour forth the floods of his wrath upon them.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
3. The victory of Messiah 110:5-7
Messiah’s victory over His enemies will be great. David saw Messiah presently seated at God the Father’s right hand (cf. Heb 8:1; Heb 10:12). In the future He will wage war (cf. Joe 3:2; Joe 3:11-14; Rev 16:16; Rev 19:13-15). Messiah drinking by a brook pictures Him renewing His strength. Yahweh will exalt Messiah because of His victorious conquest. [Note: See Allen, Rediscovering Prophecy, pp. 173-94.]
Later revelation helps us understand that Messiah will come back to the earth with His saints; He will not wage this particular war from heaven (Zec 14:4; Revelation 19). He will fight against the nations that oppose Him at the end of the Tribulation. This is the battle of Armageddon (Dan 11:36-45; Rev 19:17-19). Following victory in that battle He will rule on the earth for 1,000 years (Rev 20:1-10).
The Epistle to the Hebrews expounds this psalm. It clarifies especially how Jesus Christ fulfilled what David prophesied here about Messiah being a king-priest (Heb 7:1 to Heb 10:18; cf. Zec 6:12-13). [Note: On the subject of David and Solomon functioning as both a king and a priest, see 2 Samuel 6:14, 17-18; 1 Kings 8:14, 55, 62-64; and Merrill, "Psalms," p. 186.]